Alternate Reality
by Marie Writer
Summary: Two alternate endings to the thriller movie "Shutter Island". Chuck/Ted 'bromance'.
1. Chapter 1

_Okay, I didn't QUITE like the ending. It was good but not GREAT… so I wrote three alternate endings as a, sort of, replacement._

_Teddy and Chuck may be a little out of character… a little… maybe._

_Here's one of three._

_1/2_

_Enjoy!_

X.x.X.x

As he climbed the last rock to the top of the cliff, where he had left his partner, he began to feel bad for yelling at him like that. By the time was able to stand up straight he felt his heart sink to the bottom of his stomach, "Chuck," He called and looked around the deserted cliff side and froze when he saw a burning cigarette laying on the side of the cliff side. "Shit," he breathed and walked up to it and picked up the butt gingerly.

Carefully he leaned over the cliff side, looking for a sign of his partner. "_Chuck!_" He cried when he saw a limp body at the bottom of the rock face, the sea's waves crashing over the unmoving body's form.

After a quick decision he got to his knees and slowly pivoted on the rough terrain and began to descend the cliff face, his eyes constantly flashing back to the form of his friend, praying that the waves did not wash him away in the current. He felt the wind push itself between him and the rock face and tried to hug the cliff to keep from falling the rest of the way down. _Half way there…_ He told himself and continued to climb down.

A quarter way down the wind blew a piece of paper near him and he gasped, it was the same paper Chuck had tried to convince him was 'all they needed for evidence'. Why didn't he listen, he and Chuck could be safe on the ferry by now, _if I had just listened!_

He jumped down the last foot to the shore line and looked around for the form of his friend. The waves crashed up and soaked his white, 'orderly', clothing. He ignored the chill that went up his body from the freezing water and moved towards the place he'd last seen his friend lying. "Chuck!" He called, "Chuck, where are you?" He climbed over a few rocks, nearly slipping and crashing into the foaming sea but caught his balance – he told himself that he had to keep going, for Chuck's sake.

Teddy jumped over another rock, the fear of losing his partner because of his own paranoia and distrust was eating at him and was surely going to place him in the facility, not as a visitor but as a patient. "Chu-" he stopped mid call when he saw the form of his partner, floating face down in the water, moving back and forth with the small waves. "Chuck!" He cried again and ran to him and pulled him out of the tide pool before the waves pulled him out to sea.

"Chuck" He cried and pulled him onto a flat rock that was above all of the water that still threatened to carry his friend and partner away. "Chuck are you with me?" He cried and pressed his ear against Chuck's chest. "Chuck can you hear me? Stay with me Chuck!" The U.S. Marshall shouted by his partners ear. Without another moment of hesitation Marshall Daniels wrapped his fingers together to make one fist and began to pump the ball of fingers into his friends' chest. "C'mon buddy! Stay with me!" He cried and when nothing came of his pumping the first 5 times he tilted Chuck's head back, pushing his wet hair out of his paled face before holding his nose and breathing air into his water logged lungs.

"Don't you do this to me, Chuck" He breathed and returned to pumping his chest.

Teddy Daniels repeated this process until he was out of breath and stiff. "Come back Chuck!" He screamed one last time before slamming his fist into his stomach. With a sense of overwhelming relief he gathered his friend into his arms as he began to spit of salt water from his lungs and onto Teddy's shirt and shoulder.

"You're alright…" He soothed and held him close.

Chuck grasped the jacket of his boss' uniform tightly as he brought ragged breaths of air into his lungs. "B-boss" He gasped.

"I'm here, I'm sorry I left you." He apologized and shifted his weight so he could hold the shaking man closer.

"Boss, I can't move." He muttered.

"It'll pass…"

He shook his head just a little bit, "No I seriously cannot move my legs, boss." Teddy frowned deeply and looked his partner up and down slowly, "My chest hurts…" He added slowly.

"Just hang on, I'm gonna get you out of this." Teddy tried to ignore the idea his friend was going to be disabled because of him.

"Boss…"

"Damnit, just hang on I'm thinking!" He could feel himself start to shake.

"Boss, I'm sorry…" He muttered.

Looking down at his friends face again he began to cry; Chuck was covered in water and blood, his own blood. He could bet his chest hurt because Chuck shattered his ribs when he landed, and he doubt he helped with that any by pumping his chest as hard as he did. "Did someone push you, Chuck? Did someone do this to you?" He asked and cupped his cheek, trying to keep his eyes on him.

Chuck looked up at him grimly, his lips drawn into a thin line. "Y-yeah… I didn't even hear him coming… just I was looking for you… see if I could keep an eye on you b-but then… I felt hands on my shoulders. Next th-thing I kn-knew I was on my face - 50 feet down."

Nodding his understanding Teddy readjusted his friend in his arms. "Just rest, buddy, you're alright." He said, pushing the tears aside the best he could.

Chuck had stopped shaking and was looking up at the sky blankly. "The paper…" He muttered.

"I've got it, I got the paper. This roof is about to blow off this hell hole." He assured before grabbing Chuck's hand in his. "Listen, I'm sorry I didn't listen. I'm so sorry…"

"Give 'em hell boss." He nodded, giving him a subtle wink before looking back at the sky.

Teddy watched as his friend began to struggle for each new breath, helplessly. After a few seconds of torment Chuck took his last breath, once he was gone Daniels finally allowed himself to cry. He closed his eyes and pulled Chuck's limp, wet, and cold body closer to him as he rocked back and forth.

Closing his eyes he pressed Chuck's forehead to his, what had he done? He'd just got his partner killed over what, pride, fear, out of place mistrust? Whatever it was, it was the end of his only friend. The U.S. Marshall could hear an odd squeaking sound and sat up straight, holding his friend close with both arms as he looked around only to find three rats crawling up Chuck's bent leg. "Get off of him!" He shouted angrily and tossed the vermin down into the crashing waves below.

As he looked further up the shore he could see a whole horde of slimy, wet, rats crawling and scrambling over one another to get to the fresh meat outside of their hole in the wall – cliff side.

"They will not have you." He promised his passed friend and carried him to a safer spot and turned back to look just in time as a dim, orange, hue spread across the slippery rock face. Casting his eyes across his friend's features and judging how long it would take the rats to reach his friend who was now placed on a high rock, away from the rats, Marshal Daniels trekked across the rocks and sea of diseased rats to get to the hole in the wall where the fire was emanating from.

X.x.X.x

_Okay, so after this ending basically it goes on as the movie does but there is no 'you're number 67' or anything like that. Teddy doesn't believe that Chuck ISN'T dead – he knows he is and sends the body home to Chuck's family to be buried. He finishes his case and shuts down Shutter Island for good._

_Chuck wasn't a psychiatrist and Ted wasn't a patient who killed his wife – what the movie made out to be a 'dream' or 'false reality' is reality in this._

_To the next one!_

_Note: As I finally get this out of my head and into story format I'm beginning to realize just how weird these idea's are… but… might as well continue yeah? In other words: I know these are weird but I might as well get them out there for those of you who DON'T think they are._

_Thank you for at least getting this far - For at least reading the first chapter…_


	2. Chapter 2

_Okay, so this is how this one is going down. _

_The first chapter didn't happen, instead it went how the movie went; Chuck disappeared and Teddy is convinced that Chuck is alive and is being tortured at the light house – only he doesn't find an empty place and he isn't being told that his whole life is a lie. _

_In this one he finds exactly what he's expecting…_

_2/2_

_Enjoy!_

X.x.X.x

He tore open the door, gun at the ready, and looked up and down the cylinder shaped building. "Damn drugs." He muttered under his breath as he looked at his shaking hands, before taking a deep breath and starting his race up the winding stairs, bound to find his partner. However, every time he opened one of the doors at the end of each platform, he was met with empty rooms that wouldn't hold anything but maybe a bed with a small nightstand.

Teddy reached the final platform and tore the door open this was the last room, "This has to be it." He said in a disbelieving voice as he stepped into the middle of the largest room in the light house. "H-how… how can there be nothing here?" He shouted and kicked at a toppled over chair.

The room was filled with empty boxes and crates covered with dusty white sheets, a desk with an office chair sat at in the middle of the musty room but other than that there was nothing. "Nothing?"

He spun around the room slowly, hoping to see something that would lead to a secret passage or – "It's a front… a decoy." He whispered and turned back to the door and sped down the spiraling staircase, when he reached the bottom of the stairs he stumbled to a stop and looked around the flooring for something, anything that would lead him to his friend.

Taking a deep breath before moving under the staircase, the Marshall ran his hands over the damp brick wall, hoping to find some sort of latch that would open the 'secret' door to the actual facility. Ted was certain that there was more to this lighthouse than what was let on, he was even more certain that his partner was alive.

Finally, after running over the entire perimeter of the lighthouse he gave up, there was nothing on the ground either. "Damnit!" After breathing heavily in despair he leaned up against the wall, his legs bracing his back against the bricks. Leaning his head back he sighed, "I don't know what to do…" He sighed silently hoping his wife would visit him one last time but he knew that was the last thing he really needed. Right now he needed his partner and he had no idea where he was.

Then as sudden as a clap of thunder before a big storm there was a loud bang and then dust began to fall from around the walls, like rain, around him – covering him in a thin sheet of dust and dirt. He came away from the wall just before a large hole in the wall swallowed him into darkness.

Surprised he stared at the black abyss into the secret passage he undoubtedly found with the help of fate. "Chuck!" He called in a harsh whisper before looking over his shoulder a few times and stepped into the unknown.

X.x.X.x

With unresolved fear and anticipation he walked down the center of the narrow passage way, tripping every so often over clutter that filled the hall – resisting the urge to cry out when he slammed his foot against a fallen brick. Bracing his hands on the damp walls he breathed in the musty air to keep himself from making any noise.

Once he felt calm enough he stood up straight and blinked rapidly a few times as water and sweat dripped into his eyes. The passage was dripping with water - a lot like a leaky boat would and had soaked him to the bone in the short time he'd been there. He was certain that sweat was a heavy contributor to how wet he was.

As he limped forward, shuffling his right foot more than he probably should, he tried to keep his shaking arms steady. He knew that if he was this shaky now he would be worthless to Chuck when it came down to having to take the shot with his stolen weapon he was holding in his hands. Finally, at the end of the darkened tunnel he saw a light. Something in him told him that he shouldn't move towards the light but he figured it was just his sense of humor trying to make light of his tense situation.

Moving forward slowly, trying not to make too much noise with his injured foot which was dragging pathetically on the wet cement as he walked.

He licked his lips as he drew near to the door at the end of the walkway in anticipation. He heard strangled cries as another person reminded the victim that he could scream all he wanted, nobody would hear him because, "He was under water".

Something boiled in him, Chuck was in there and they were not only torturing him but taunting him. He crept closer to the door, licking his dry, cracked lips again, and peeked through the crack of the partially opened door. He came just in time.

The 'doctors' had strapped him to a operation table with leather straps around his wrists and ankles, another strap wrapped over his chest and yet another over his forehead. "Chuck…" he breathed in surprise. Just as the name left his lips he heard a low humming sound and watched as the doctors moved in with hair razor to shave his head of his thick curly hair.

Without another thought Teddy burst through the door and raised his gun and pointed it in the directions of the doctors. There were three of them , all of them standing around Chuck's 'table' but he didn't hesitate instead he fired three shots, landing each bullet from the rifle to the intended target's head. "Boss" He heard a pathetic call from the operation table.

Once the three doctors fell to the surprisingly dry floor with dull thuds Teddy moved around the table to the left side but the right side of his friend and partner. "Hey…" He greeted as he placed a hand on his friends chest noting his morbid appearance. "What did they do to you Chuck?" He whispered, _did he really fall off that cliff-side?_ He wondered to himself. Chuck was covered in deep cuts which were stitched together with thick threads at the ends of the severed skin. His chest, arms and right side of his face were discolored in yellow and purple, his shirt was unbuttoned down the middle until the last two buttons, his shoes and socks were missing and he was covered in twisted wires that were attached to his face, neck, chest, and arms; though some looked like they could be IV's.

"B-boss… how'd y-you find me?" He asked between short breaths.

_He's in shock…_ He figured and began to unbuckle the straps around his partner's wrists. "I knew something was wrong when they tried to convince me you didn't exist." He said carefully, trying to concentrate his own shaking hands and fumbling fingers on the buckles.

"Y-you alright?" He asked his eyes going over his boss's body.

Laughing a bit Ted paused. "You were almost… and you're asking me?"

"Boss you're shakin'…" He pointed out with a sharp look in his eye.

"They've been druggin' us Chuck… 'm goin' through withdrawls…" He explained as he finally managed to release his buddy's hands and moved to his legs while Chuck started to yank at the wires and IV's frantically.

"What are you talkin' about?" He asked in surprise, trying not to panic.

Ted sighed as he fumbled at the buckles on the other straps near his feet. "It's in the food, our drinks, even our borrowed smokes." He elaborated.

"You fuckin' kidding me?" He asked and waited patiently for Ted to finish with the ankle straps so he could move onto the head strap which he couldn't get undone by himself.

As Ted worked at getting the head restraint undone he continued. "No, you were right, bud. This whole thing was a set up… they were lookin' into me as much as I was lookin' into them." He finished releasing his friend from his complicated restraints and stepped back.

Chuck sat up and gritted his teeth against the pain. "Damn" He bit out under his breath before sitting up straight and looking back at the man in front of him. "I told you boss, this whole thing stunk."

Nodding Ted agreed, "You were right…" He repeated genuinely.

"We gotta get out of here boss, they can't know that you found me. We'll have to come back another time… or send someone else. We've got the proof… we've got the list." He said before slumping his shoulders in unspoken defeat. "You do have the paper… right?"

He nodded, "Yeah, I got the paper." He moved to help Chuck wrap his arm around his shoulders while wrapping his own arm around his waist for support. "We're getting the next ferry out of here." He informed and guided him down the damp, narrow, passageway.

X.x.X.x

The two soaking wet men stumbled down the pathway from the lighthouse down to the bank. "Chuck, ya thing you can swim?" He asked as their feet stumbled to a stop by the crashing waves. The water looked cold and dark, morbidly welcoming, but still frightening as it lapped against the beaten, slippery, rocks.

"Yeah, should be…" He said in a low, deep, voice.

Ted turned to face his friend, "Hey, listen," he ordered and made Chuck square off to him, "I'm not goin' to let you die here." He assured.

With a small, dark, laugh Chuck nodded. "Okay Boss…"

"I mean it Chuck," he pushed further but after that didn't say anything more, instead he dove into the dark water with perfect form. He swam out with practiced strokes effortlessly before stopping and turning to face where he'd left Chuck, treading water patiently while watching Chuck carefully. "I've got your back" He assured, spitting out water as it splashed into his opened mouth.

"Boss I can hardly breathe as it is…" he said nervously and took a few steps back.

"No," Ted shook his head violently as he bobbed in the harsh waves, "don't quit now! We can get out of here Chuck!"

"Ted –"

"Chuck you get in this water," He ordered.

The damaged man stood on the shore, still as a statue but at the sound of a motor boat from the other side of the lighthouse his eyes went wide. "Chuck they're coming! We have to leave… now!" He said his arms tired of treading as he continued to keep the water from forcing itself down his throat.

After a few moments of hesitation where his brain said yes but his feet said no he finally jumped into the frigid waters below, swimming quickly to catch up with Ted. As they swam back to the mainland Ted continuously looked behind him to make sure Chuck hadn't ducked under.

Once they were on the shore Teddy was able to climb the rocky terrain easier, despite his constant shake, as a result he ended up dragging Chuck up with him. By the time they were back in the soft grass they were covered in mud staining his white clothing a dark brown color with bits of grass pasted on like shredded pieces of paper on glue. He looked over to his friend who was now laying on his back which covered him in mud on the front and the back, he let out a small laugh, despite their current situation, at his partners face which had mud around his eyes making him look like he had a child's costume mask on. "Hey buddy… you got some stuff…" he pointed at his own face, unaware he was sporting a similar look.

"Oh yeah?" Chuck said with a half smirk, still pained but amused as well. "I'm just following your lead."

Ted let out an airy laugh before laying on his back next to Chuck, "Following me isn't always the best idea." He said seriously. On the corner of his eye he could see Chuck loll his head in his direction, he could feel his glare.

"Bull shit Boss." He said, _angrily?_

"If we had just…"

"If we had just not taken the case I would have never met you but probably would have gotten to the same place, only I wouldn't have been as aware of the situation and I'd still be in that lighthouse… dead or alive." He argued.

Ted turned his own head to look at his partner and friend. "You undersell yourself."

With a small chuckle, a wince following soon after, Chuck shook his head against the ground. "I learned from the best." They laughed together, one wincing after and the other pausing in concern before stopping completely as he noticed his shake was even worse – his whole body now shook like a dryer machine on the highest setting.

"Boss, we gotta get you to a doctor."

"Nobody nearby I hope…" He said with a small smile which earned him a humored smile in return but nothing further. Instead both of them got to their feet, trying to keep their balance as the trekked for the ferry's dock, not even two minutes after they got started an alarm sounded from behind them, from the lighthouse.

Sharing a short look they scrambled forward. "What… do you… propose… we do…" Chuck started, talking between breaths before stumbling to a stop and putting his hands on his knees as he bent forward. Ted stumbled to a stop a few feet in front of him but turned to face his partner as he caught his breath. "When we get to the ferry…?" He finished finally, still bent forward but he craned his neck forward to look at his partner and friend.

"We'll just sneak on… the chances of the ferry man being in on this freak-show can't be too likely… so he may not search all the nooks and crannies." Ted shrugged a little and took a few steps toward Chuck. "C'mon buddy… we gotta keep moving." He encouraged and Chuck nodded while he placed his hand on Ted's shoulder for support.

"Okay…"

X.x.X.x

Once they were back at the dock they slipped on, most of the security was focused on the main building and the shores around the lighthouse. Ted was shaking but still did his best to support his friend, holding Chuck's right arm around his shoulders, his own left arm wrapped around Chuck's middle for added support.

They stumbled into the cargo hold below deck and hid in the far back, making a wall of crates and boxes to try and hide their position in the corner. Once Ted finished making a small wall around their tiny square he fell back and sat next to Chuck who was slumped against the wall behind them.

"You alright?" Ted asked.

Chuck grimaced and nodded, "Yeah,"

"Hang in there buddy." Ted said and wrapped his arm around his partners shoulders.

"Boss… you're just as bad as I am."

With a laugh his friend begged to differ, "I didn't fall off a cliff, get dragged into a lighthouse where I almost had my head cut open."

Chuck shivered at the thought but managed a small laugh, "Yeah well… I didn't fall."

Ted turned his head to look at Chuck directly instead of just looking forward and talking to the crates. "What?" He asked, anger bleeding through his tone.

"Boss, I may not be the most coordinated person but I'm not clumsy enough to fall off a cliff. I was pushed." He said and nodded his head before turning his head to meet Ted's. "They pushed me off so you'd find me and then took me away before you could get to me… they faked my death, man."

Ted growled deep in his chest, "These people are fucked up." He said low, "I swear, I will come back with an army to take these people out." He vowed and Chuck nodded.

"I'll be with you, Boss." He swallowed hard and leaned his head back against the far wall.

"You okay?" Ted asked concern clear in his voice.

He nodded and pulled his lips into a thin line. "Yeah, the adrenaline is just wearing off." He said with a playful wink before closing his eyes, keeping his head back.

"We're safe here, just relax." Ted assured and just as he finished the engine roared from below them and he smiled, "We're going home Chuck." He added and ruffled Chuck's matted hair.

In return Chuck leaned to the side and fell against Ted in relief and exhaustion – falling asleep within moments.

Ted smiled and wrapped his arm around Chuck again, keeping him close as the ferry left for the mainland, "We're going home." He repeated softly.

X.x.X.x

_Had a hard time figuring out how to finish this one off - Hope it went alright and you liked it._

_~ Leave a comment with whatever suggestions or thoughts you have about it. ~_


End file.
